The Toledo Metro Station, Naples

Europe has an impressive portfolio of underground metro stations; The Komsomolskaya metro station in Moscow, The Solna Station in Stockholm, the Olaias metro station in Lisbon, are all great examples of outstanding local architectural innovation and design. However, the most recent addition is an absolute stand out; the Toledo Metro Station in Naples. This metro station is a stunning example of a collaborative project engaging architects, artists, designers, and craftsmen from near and far in the laboratory, in the experiment in large scale public art that is Naples Metro System.

The station is on Via Toledo, one of the main shopping streets in Naples. A second entrance to the Toledo Station only just opened this year in February 2013 in the Spanish Quarter, Quartieri Spagnoli. Oscar Blanca also designed the public squares above the two metro entrances.

The Toledo station is one of the deepest in the line at 50 meters, and has a theme of water and light. There is also a deep, blue, sparkling crater that connects the ground level with the great lobby 38 meters below, which is very impressive.The art of the station, curated by art critic and former Venice Biennale director, Achille Bonito Oliva, includes two mosaics by the South African artist, William Kentridge, as well as Light Panels Robert Wilson and works by Francesco Clemente, Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, Shirin Nehsat and Oliviero Toscani.

Declared as the most impressive subway design in all of Europe, and we have to agree. This is just another great reason for any architectural fanatic to visit Italy.